Gaining a heart of wisdom
Was it the pair of turtle doves that tipped him off?Was it the countrified manner of the parents? Or did the Spirit of God produce an aura of light around the Child, visible only to Simeon's Spirit-filled gaze? We don't know how he knew, but since "it had been revealed to him by the Holy… Continue reading Now, We Are the Waiting Ones
We'll never fully recreate the scene:A young girl,An angelic voice,and an impossible-sounding announcement: "It's time for me to break the silence.I have already set my plan in motion.Here's your part." Divine intervention has a way of...Intervening.Definition: "to come in or between by way of hindrance or modification."1 It's safe to assume that giving birth to… Continue reading How to Make the Most of Those Christmas Interruptions
When the Apostle John picked up his pen and began his first letter to the church, light was one of the metaphors he turned to. As the only remaining living witness to Jesus’s life and ministry, his goal was to establish a solid base of truth concerning the Word of Life in a post-apostolic world in which… Continue reading What Happened When the True Light Arrived
Christmas is a celebration of God's great rescue plan. Paul, chief of the apostles and “chief of sinners,” put it succinctly when he wrote that God “did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all," and then asked, "How will he not also with him graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) Having gone… Continue reading Celebrate the Gift of a God Given Rescue Plan
(...and a new Christmas fiction book just for fun!) The first Sunday of Advent is less than a month away! What will you do this year to celebrate, reflect, and renew your sense of awe that God the Son would hunker down and wizen up and enter the darkness of this world? The incarnation is… Continue reading Four New Resources for Your Advent Reflection
Posted with thanks, unabashed hero worship, and apologies to the memory of E.B.White (7/11/1899 – 10/1/1985), author of Charlotte’s Web and other beloved tales. He wrote “Memorandum,” originally published in Harper’s Magazine in October of 1941 and then compiled into One Man’s Meat in 1942, along with numerous other exquisite essays from White’s writing life. Please celebrate with me the beauty of… Continue reading A Merry Memorandum and an Important Resource for Epiphany
Part Four: Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know Christmas baking here in the Morin compound involves eleven different recipes. Most of the goodies are either carried or mailed offsite, and having a generous supply on hand makes party food, unexpected guests, and random gifting quite stress-free—even enjoyable. But looking at the list at the… Continue reading Overcome Christmas Discouragement by Remembering Your Powerful Why
Part Three: Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know The word hope has been gutted by misuse to the point where it's a flimsy thing, a wish thrown out into the universe, a desire held close to one's heart. Christmas allows us to fill the word hope back up again with true biblical meaning. The… Continue reading Christmas Hope for the Fears of All the Years
Part Two: Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know We live in a world described by C.S. Lewis's devil Screwtape as "The Kingdom of Noise." When we're not being assaulted by ringing phones or pinging notifications, we have podcasts and playlists pouring into our ears as if listening to something might actually be our real… Continue reading Wishing You a Silent and Holy Christmas in the Kingdom of Noise
Part 1--Carols I Want My Grandchildren to Know Expectation and Christmas are long-time friends. Tantalizing gifts under a sparkling tree, anticipated gatherings with loved ones, seasonal parties, and special menus that happen only in December add to the expectational cocktail that has become North American Christmas. Taken in reasonable doses, this festive anticipation fuels a… Continue reading It’s Christmas Time! What Is Your Hope? What Are You Waiting For?
Living Our Days 